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When we read Haroun and the Sea of Stories (Rushdie, 1991), we recall
Grimus (Rushdie, 2006), Rushdie’s most unpopular novel, but technically no
way inferior to his other novels. Like Grimus, this moral and aesthetic parable oscillates between fantasy and reality, leaving us spellbound through skilful weaving of the real and unreal, dream and reality. This marvellous account is a perfect concoction of fable, fantasy, scientific romance, political allegory, art, moral and psychology. The title Haroun and Sea of Stories is taken from Katha Sarith Sagara (Tawney, 2001). It is the largest available collection of stories in Sanskrit written by Soma Deva, a Kashmiri Brahmin. Another influence can be seen in Sathyajith Ray’s children’s film, Goopy Gayen and Bagha Bayen (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha), from which Rushdie borrowed some of the proper names in the novel.
Rushdie’s explicit ideas, exuberant language and gumption are expressed with vehemence in all his works. Rushdie changed the panorama of Indian Writing in English
with the publication of his Midnight’s Children (Rushdie, 2006). Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a cogent narration brought to life with complicated imagery where the characters are scrutinized in elaborate detail and scrupulously presented to us. Considering the fact that Haroun and Sea of Stories is the first novel written in hiding, the first after the declaration of fatwa, the autobiographical element in the novel cannot be overlooked. Before surveying and assessing the details of this fantasizing tale, here is an attempt to peep into his psyche and learn what made Rushdie write this book and what it is that he wants us to get at.
The story starts with a very common theme of a tale of a father and son and starts spinning its magic by adding varied characters and taking off with dramatic juggling, resulting in complex developments unfurling into a poignantly incredible journey. The story begins in a sad city in the land of Alifbay which has forgotten its name. Rashid Khalifa (called the ocean of notions, the Shah of Blah, for his wonderful stories) suffers from momentary loss of his Gift of Gab when his wife Soraya runs away with
Mr. Senguptha, who lives downstairs. Haroun, his son, blames himself partly for the loss of his father’s voice and wants to restore the voice of his father. After failing to utter even a word in the town of G, they go to the valley of K, where Rashid and Haroun receive invitation from the local political leaders, who want Rashid to please people with his stories and thus gain favor and popularity for them. Many characters are introduced into the story like Water Genie, Butt, the Hoopoe which take Haroun from reality to a dream-like fantasy world.
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